Key Takeaways
- A broadcast concert production requires a parallel production team: broadcast director, vision mixer, camera operators (minimum 4 for a broadcast-quality concert), and a dedicated broadcast audio mix
- The OB (outside broadcast) van integrates all camera feeds and the broadcast audio mix — it is a self-contained broadcast facility that parks outside the venue
- The broadcast audio mix (what viewers hear) is different from the PA mix (what the audience hears) — the same signals are used but with different processing and monitoring
- Camera position planning must happen during the site visit — broadcast cameras need positions that don't obstruct the audience and that receive the production's sight lines
- Concert broadcasts in India are licensed by the artist's management — confirm broadcast rights in the contract before any broadcast infrastructure is specified
The broadcast team structure
A concert broadcast runs as a parallel production to the live event. The broadcast director (BD) sits in the OB van with a vision mixing console displaying all camera feeds simultaneously — they call camera cuts in real time based on the music, the performance energy, and the broadcast's editorial requirements. The cameras (typically 4–6 for a medium-scale concert broadcast) are operated by camera operators briefed by the BD on house camera positions, preferred angles, and the artists' performance styles. The broadcast audio engineer runs a separate mix from the same stage sources as the PA but mixed and mastered for headphone and speaker listening rather than open-air audience experience. These roles are specialist — they are not the same as the live event's show-caller, FOH engineer, and stage manager.
Camera positions for concert broadcast
Broadcast camera positions for a concert are determined by three constraints: audience sight lines (cameras cannot block the audience's view of the stage), lighting (cameras need to be positioned where the stage lighting illuminates the performer faces from the correct angle), and access (camera operators need stable, accessible positions with cable runs to the OB van). Standard positions for a 3,000-capacity concert: FOH (front of house) position in the centre of the audience area at mixing desk height (this is also the PA engineer's position — the broadcast camera must coexist with the FOH engineer); a camera at stage left and stage right at ground level; a roving camera for crowd shots and performer close-ups; and a wide shot camera at the rear of the venue for establishing shots. Any additional camera positions require rigging infrastructure and must be confirmed during the site visit.
Broadcast rights
A concert broadcast — whether to a streaming platform, a television channel, or a digital archive — is a rights-licensed activity. The artist's management controls broadcast rights for their performance. Most concert production contracts do not include broadcast rights unless specifically negotiated. Discover this at week 12 of the production cycle, not at week 1 when the broadcast infrastructure is already being specified. The rights negotiation determines: the broadcast platform, the broadcast window (live, 24-hour delay, or archival), geographic restrictions, and the revenue split if the broadcast is monetised.